Ask Me No Questions by Shelley Noble

Author:Shelley Noble
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

13

“I’m beginning to agree with you, Bev,” Phil said, bursting into the parlor and pulling off her veil. She tossed it to Bev, who was lounging on the sofa. “If we had a fire lit, I’d gladly toss this monstrosity into the flames.”

“Oh, let’s do it,” Bev said, sitting up and slipping her stocking feet into a pair of satin slippers.

“Not yet. But I do agree. There is no sense in you being in mourning any longer than necessary. You would have thought Reggie, after choosing you, would have better taste in a mistress.”

“Mildred Potts is a sow’s ear,” Bev said. “And Reggie was a rotter.”

Well put, thought Phil. “Bev, stop it. You shouldn’t say such things.”

Bev propelled herself off the sofa. “What is wrong with you, Phil? You sound like an old prude. Is this what marrying royalty does to you?”

“Actually, just the opposite, my dear Bev. But the police are looking for someone to arrest. And if Miss Potts told them what she told me, and if they can’t find this alleged driver, you might be the one they choose.”

“They wouldn’t dare.”

“They would more than dare. I’m deadly serious. They need to arrest someone. So stop being a self-indulgent brat and start thinking about your survival.”

Bev stopped cold, slowly turned back to Phil. “Is it as bad as that?”

Phil sighed. “I don’t know, but it is certainly within the realm of possibility. That LaPonte woman would throw her mother under a trolley to save herself. She’s hiding something—her guilt, perhaps, I don’t know for certain. But she’s definitely afraid.”

Bev reached for the bell.

“And don’t think your afternoon cocktails are going to solve the problem. You should start searching your mind for who would want to shoot Reggie. And why. And then we’d better seriously go about proving it, because if we don’t, you’ll be living on bread and water while you’re waiting to be executed.”

Bev sank onto the nearest chair. “I didn’t kill him. Or the man in the library.”

“Then who did?”

“I don’t know.”

“And you really don’t know who he is?”

“I told you, no.”

“And no one knows who the driver is or where he is. No one seems to know anything, not us, not Atkins, not even Bobby Mullins, who was Reggie’s right-hand man.”

“Bobby Mullins? When did you talk to him?”

“He was at the theater.”

Bev sat up. “What’s he doing at the theater when he should be at the farm taking care of my horses?”

“This morning he was trying to talk the inimitable Mildred out of leaving town.”

“She wouldn’t dare. Unless she’s guilty.”

“She may be guilty, but I don’t think that is what’s scaring her. And she was definitely scared. While I was there, she received a threat not to appear onstage. I guess Reggie had his admirers.”

“He did. Too many, if you ask me. But I’m glad they’re taking it out on her and not me.”

“I suppose. But surely none of Reggie’s friends will actually kill her for going onstage. She’s in the chorus, for heaven’s sake.”

“I’m sure I don’t care.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.